Prospective Associations Between Parenting Styles and Adolescents’ Social–Emotional Competence: A Cross-Lagged Network Analysis

Abstract

Adolescence involves substantial developmental changes, with social–emotional competence (SEC) serving as an important protective factor. However, how parenting styles are prospectively associated with adolescents’ SEC in the Chinese cultural context remains unclear. A two-wave longitudinal study was conducted among 1167 middle school students in China (52.4% male; baseline Mage = 13.16 years, SD = 0.93). Using longitudinal data and a cross-lagged panel network analysis (CLPN), we examined the temporal relationships among parental autonomy support, psychological control, and SEC. Opinion exchange showed a positive prospective association with later self-management. Adolescent self-management showed a limited adolescent-to-parent prospective association, whereas responsible decision-making showed relatively prominent incoming and outgoing prospective connectivity and may warrant further investigation in confirmatory and intervention research. These findings highlight the potential relevance of parent–adolescent communication and emotional support for adolescents’ social–emotional functioning.